


Too Well-Dressed for the Witness Stand

by BasilHellward



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arkham Asylum, M/M, Pre-Slash, S2 E20 'Unleashed', Singing, Wordcount: 500-1.000, by canon divergence I mean we're throwing it off a building and proclaiming ourselves King of Gotham, excessive overuse of italics, fluff?, might change the title at some point but Fall Out Boy lyrics will have to do for now lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-07-12 18:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7118389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BasilHellward/pseuds/BasilHellward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Oswald Cobblepot, you're under arrest for the murder of Theo Galavan... Again."</p><p>Oswald sighs in resignation and holds his arms out. He winces when Bullock fastens the handcuffs around his wrists a little too tightly.</p><p>"If it's any consolation," Jim says with a resentful smile, "You're not going to Blackgate."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Well-Dressed for the Witness Stand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bertie_McSwiggin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bertie_McSwiggin/gifts).



> Set during/after the events of S2 E20.
> 
> Bertie_McSwiggin convinced me to write this after I told them to imagine Ed and Oswald in Arkham at the same time and Ed makes sure no one bullies Ozzie and sings to him at night when he can't sleep because my little birdie deserves love ok

"You're welcome. Let's go, Butch."

Oswald turns to walk away just as a squad of police cars pull up and block the road, lights flashing and sirens wailing. Jim jogs over to Bullock, who is stepping out of the vehicle nearest Oswald. Jim murmurs something to Harvey and he nods, steps forward.

"Oswald Cobblepot, you're under arrest for the murder of Theo Galavan... Again."

"Oh, come _on_! You _wanted_ him dead!" Oswald squawks, looking around for Butch who, predictably, has abandoned him. Oswald sighs in resignation and holds his arms out, knowing there's no escape. He winces when Bullock fastens the handcuffs around his wrists a little too tightly.

"If it's any consolation," Jim says with a resentful smile, "You're not going to Blackgate."

"Well, then where—" Oswald freezes. No, he can't mean... "You're not putting me back in _Arkham_?!"

"Your therapy obviously hasn't worked. You're in _sane_."

"Jim, why are you doing this? I just _saved your life_! I thought we were frie—"

"We're not friends, Penguin." 

Oswald makes a sound to convey that he's offended and hurt, letting himself be manhandled into a police car headed for Arkham Asylum. 

"You'll pay for this, Jim Gordon," he mumbles to himself, glaring at Jim through the window. 

 

# —

 

Oswald huffs as the orderlies roughly shove him into his new room. 

"Sweet dreams," one of them smirks. Oswald scowls at him.

 

# —

 

Oswald can't sleep. The springs sticking out of the mattress are digging into his back, and the fluorescent lights out in the hallway flicker and fill his cold room with weak, sickly light. The other patients are constantly laughing and screaming and crying. And the nightmares... Oswald's not sure he'd _want_ to sleep, even if he could.

There's another sound now, too — quiet and sweet and _human_ under the other animal sounds. Someone singing, he realizes when he tunes out the racket, and Oswald doesn't know the tune, but the voice he recognizes.

Oswald gets to his feet so that he can peer through the barred window on his door. The room across the hallway is too dimly lit to make out more than the shadow of a man — tall, thin, bespectacled. His glasses reflecting the florescent lights.

"Ed?" Oswald calls tentatively. His chest is tight with a feeling he hasn't experienced in a long time — hope.

"Is that you, Ozzie?!"

"It's me!" Oswald confirms, grinning. "I've missed you, my friend. What're you doing here?"

"I'm in _sane_ , apparently," Ed sighs. 

"No, I mean what did you _do_?" 

"Oh, I framed Jim Gordon for murder," Ed says with a wave of his hand, like it's nothing — Oswald can see him better now that he's standing by his own window.

"You _what_?!"

"It was easy," Ed shrugs. "But they found out about Miss Kringle."

Oswald tuts, "That's too bad," and Ed nods. 

They stand — faces pressed against the bars, arms hanging idly from the window frames — and talk for hours. Ed tells Oswald the story of how he outwitted Jim Gordon, straightens his arm, reaching his hand out for Oswald's. Oswald tells Ed about the Van Dahls, silently curses the hallway for being too wide for him to link his fingers with Ed's. 

"I can't imagine what that's like," Ed says quietly, only just loud enough for Oswald to hear, "Meeting your father only to lose him like that. That's— it's _awful_ , Ozzie." 

Oswald's glad he doesn't say something about it being for the best, that Oswald should remain _unencumbered_. He couldn't hear that right now, couldn't bear it.

Oswald yawns and Ed says, "I'm sorry I've kept you awake. You can go to bed if you like, I don't mind." 

"I-I'm not sure if I _can_ sleep," Oswald admits. "Or if I want to."

"I know you have nightmares, Ozzie," Ed says after a short pause, "But you have to sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to forgetfulness, heart problems, weight gain, decreased sex drive—"

"Ed," Oswald interrupts, blushing. "Telling me all that really won't help." 

"Oh, sorry." 

It's quiet for a moment before Oswald hears Ed begin to quietly sing again, and this time it's a tune Oswald recognizes, knows like the back of his hand.

" _The fire has gone out, wet snow from above, but nothing will warm me more than my, my mother's love. I light another candle, dry the tears from my face_..."

The last thing Oswald hears before he falls asleep is Ed softly whisper, "Sweet dreams, Ozzie. Don't worry, I'll get us out of here."

**Author's Note:**

> When I originally posted this work, I said I might add more chapters to it, but I'm probably not going to now. After watching S3, I'm not as big a Nygmobblepot shipper as I was and besides, I can't think of what to write. Anyway -- thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
